This is one of those shows in the first half of 1987 when they were playing somewhat deliberately and finding new ways of playing them compared to the past few years that was more like the early 70’s than the late 80’s in a lot of ways. This is one of those shows in which they chug along in such a fashion, carry a heavy, rumbling bass of a load and break new ground in the process. This audience recording captures it all better than most that I've heard and that is particular due to its very real and true to life bass presence. Phil sounded like nothing else at outdoor shows (well, he still does! Go Phil!) and this FOB captures it with clarity. Touch is as good as it gets with this song even as they adjust the knobs, (which I always find delightful). As the song dials in, you realize Bobby is playing a complicated descending structure like Hubie Blake and pianists of that era. Row Jimmy is stately and slow and a calm descends over the land. Bob is having electronic troubles and so Brent and then Jerry do the “Little Bunny Foo Foo’s” (very nice) until the full band-sans Bobby-0joins them for a rousing one. Peggy-O and Good Time Blues benefit from this playfulness and willingness to play as does the out there Cassidy.
Back on the East Coast, we would see the setlists from the west coast at the first show we went to. I’m not sure who it was that used to pass those out (there was more than one but one grew into Dupree’s Diamond News, I’m pretty sure). I thought that these broadsheets revealed what looked like a continuation of the East coast tour’s solid, rockin’ shows albeit with long first sets. Something like a second set Stranger would have caught my eye as would have that mid-set Jack Straw (powerful like a 93 version) from the previous night. Iko Iko (west coast spelling) comes on out of the blue and goes by in a flash. It’s the Stranger that gets the set going. It’s a spacey, heavy psychedelic version and you almost wish they continue to get way out there at that point (not so likely in early 87 anyway) but the Ship of Fools they play is no bathroom break song. It’s a slow, consideration of the song, each word placed like a dish on the table and you hang on every word. Bite? It’s slow, deliberate and heavy. The Black Peter later has similar positive qualities. As soon as it starts, you recognize that the gravitas is back even in a show rife with little and littler Bunny Foo Foos. This show is so typical of the Grateful Dead in that it’s so atypical of any other show. And aren’t they all?

Great show with Brent's first set "Good Times Blues"